Hydrophil is a company of experts focusing on the water sector. Located in Austria it works with a core team of senior in-house experts and numerous associated specialists from all over the world. Based on the solid academic background of its staff and the well established relationship with research it offers institutional, (socio-)economical, financial, legal, technological, hydro(meteo)logical, and environmental expertise.

Hydrophil supports its clients during the processes of analysis, identification, conceptualization, development, planning, design, implementation, benchmarking, monitoring, review and evaluation of policies, programmes and projects. The company provides technical assistance, expert consultancy services, decision support, capacity building and training. Hydrophil is also involved in research studies on water related aspects and has experiences in framework contracts for the EC and other clients.

EXPERTISE
Water Supply and Sanitation
Hydrophil’s expertise with respect to water supply and sanitation covers drinking water supply and treatment, sanitation and hygiene and wastewater treatment. They have ample experience with respect to decentralization of public services and development of institutional and regulatory framework. They support clients with respect to PSP, financing of water and sanitation services, rural and small towns as well as integrated rural and urban development. 

Water Resources Management
Hydrophil provides expertise in the fields of integrated water resources management as well as transboundary river basin management. They support clients during the conceptutal design phase and with respect to implementation and operation of water information systems for environmental and infrastructural decision support.

A decision support system can support simulation, design and evaluation of alternative development / management strategies and investment projects but it cannot replace the actual decision making process. Experience shows that stakeholders need guidance in order to achieve informed decision making processes and in order to build consensus. Hydrophil has ample experience in facilitation these stakeholder processes and helping them to identify opportunities for cooperative development and to translate their demand and their concerns into tangible, well-defined requirements.

Hydrophil supports its clients with respect to management of the data to knowledge chain (data collection, validation, aggregation, analysis) as well as with respect to data, metadata and semi-structured information management. They are experienced in assessing information needs, data availability and institutional capacities and in defining web-based water and environmental repositories. They offer specific expertise for all kinds of web-based communication and information systems for enhancement of basin wide exchange. 

Sector Performance Monitoring
Hydrophil supports its clients during the process of sector performance monitoring at country and regional level. Hydrophil has been involved in defining indicators, reviewing definitions, and calculation methods for access to safe water supply and sanitation and supporting sector dialogues and reviews. Hydrophil provides expertise with respect to output based budgeting, MDG monitoring and targeting of investment resources. 

Hydro-meteorological monitoring
A reliable hydro-meteorological data collection system is an important requirement as water allocation decisions, including trans-boundary management, directly depend on a sound knowledge of resources availability, including dependable forecasts. Hydrophil´s provides expertise with respect to conceptual design of hydro-meteorological monitoring networks including support for rehabilitation of existing systems. Hydrophil furthermore advices its clients on choice of technologies amnd supports them with respect to data acquisition, processing, analysis and interpretation.

Small Hydro-power
The development of environmentally sustainable sources of electricity is increasingly becoming a priority. Hydro–electric facilities provide a clear benefit by avoiding carbon and other gaseous emissions. Notwithstanding these benefits, hydro-electric facilities are also frequently subject to criticism on environmental grounds, as they can have negative environmental impacts which can negate any related benefit. Additionally, smaller to medium-sized hydro electric facilities are often not covered by environmental protection standards relevant to power generation and may therefore not require detailed environmental due diligence (e.g. EIA and associated mitigation measures for project implementation) as part of the planning and permitting process.

Because of the need to balance the benefits of such installations and the need to protect the environment there is a clear need to complement any hydro–electric development plans by a strategic assessment of the resultant environmental impact, with the objective to identify opportunities for new hydro plants which are technically feasible, economically viable and environmentally sustainable.

Hydrophil’s expertise with a view to small hydro-power ranges from hydropower potential studies, strategic environmental assessments to social and environmental impact assessments. 

SERVICES
Hydrophil supports its clients in all stages of the entire water sector policy, programming and project implementation cycles from policy formulation to project implementation and ex-post impact evaluations. They offer a broad range of research and consulting services for water sector related activities in all sectors. They assist in technological, social, economical, financial, legal, institutional, and environmental aspects.

Hydrophil is dedicated to meeting this challenge by providing an interface between research and practice. The combination of consultancy and research experience is Hydrophil 's core strength and provides innovative and effective solutions for clients. 

Hydrophil provides services in the following areas:

Policy and Strategy Development. They assist policy makers in the review, (re)formulation and implementation of water sector policies and strategies (national, international). They support decision makers in strategic planning initiatives, e.g. with the aim of targeting available resources for short-, mid- and long-term investment planning (sector and sub-sector allocations). 

Identification and Preparation. They typically provide technical assistance and backstopping services during the programme and project implementation phase. They also assist clients in the procurement of goods and services. They provide specialist expertise in project cycle management and assist with monitoring and evaluation of development programmes and projects.

Monitoring, review, and evaluation
Results based management depends on reliable information. Early detection of inefficiencies or un-desirable effects helps to optimise programme implementation through change management. While inputs and outputs are relatively easy to monitor it may be challenging to develop the methodology for measuring results and impacts , through routine data collection specific surveys, the use of proxy indicators or any combination of these.

Hydrophil offers specific technological, social, economical, financial, legal, institutional, and environmental expertise for all kinds of activities during monitoring and review processes as well as for evaluations.

They support clients to define indicators, establish baselines, organise reliable data collection, develop logframes, conduct reviews and evaluations at any level (project to sector programme) and throughout the project/programme cycle.

Backstopping and Expert Services. They offer expertise in systems analysis and multi-criteria decision making, e.g. in support of the definition of new policies and planning initiatives. They have strong technical expertise in the development of systems for environmental assessment and define monitoring and process control procedures in water supply, wastewater treatment and hydrology. They assist in the establishment of information systems for environmental and infrastructural decision support covering data acquisition, processing, analysis and interpretation of data.

Research and Thematic Studies. Hydrophil is dedicated to bridge the gap between researchers and practitioners, thus making innovative approaches and technologies available for practical application. They analyse and adapt research results dependent on local environmental, socio-economic or regulatory conditions. They are committed to participative research approaches including action research and have considerable experience working and facilitating communication in research communities.

Capacity Building and Training. They offer advice to governmental institutions, private and non-governmental organizations for institutional development, organisational strengthening and the development of appropriate institutional and regulatory frameworks. To support these initiatives, they offer tailor-made training courses to enhance clients' organisational capacities to plan and implement strategies, programmes and projects. The staff has been involved in a wide range of capacity building initiatives and has experience in graduate level lecturing and post-graduate training, as well as training courses and workshops.